Ariel (moon) (original) (raw)
Ariel
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | William Lassell |
Discovered in | 1851 |
Orbital characteristics | |
Mean radius | 190,900 km |
Perihelion | |
Aphelion | |
Eccentricity | |
Orbital period | 2.52 days |
Inclination | ° |
Satellite of | Uranus |
Physical characteristics | |
Equatorial diameter | 1160 km |
Surface area | 4,200,000 km2 |
Mass | kg |
Mean density | g/cm3 |
Surface gravity | m/s2 |
Escape velocity | km/s |
Rotation period | 2.52 days |
Axial tilt | ° |
Albedo | |
Surface temperature | minmeanmax K K K |
Atmospheric pressure | 0 kPa |
Ariel is a moon of Uranus discovered in 1851 by William Lassell. Its composition is roughly 50% water ice, 30% silicate rock, and 20% methane ice, and it appears to have regions of fresh frost in places. Largely devoid of impact craters, Ariel appears to have undergone a period of intense geological activity that has produced a huge network of fault canyons and liquid water outflows over its surface.